UNT is expanding its offerings for young adults with intellectual disabilities with a new, four-year inclusive postsecondary education program debuting in Fall 2021.

The state of Texas has the second-highest population of individuals with disabilities in the U.S. North Texas K-12 public and charter schools serve nearly 23% of the state's students with a primary diagnosis of ID, yet there is no current postsecondary program in the region to serve these students once they age out of the public-school system.

UNT ELEVAR, which stands for Empower, Learn, Excel, enVision, Advance and Rise, will give young adults with intellectual disabilities the educational training to pursue a meaningful career and skills to lead an independent life. It also will create a transition pathway by partnering with local districts to mentor and support high school students with ID. Seed funding for the program comes from a nearly $2 million U.S. Department of Education grant.